Ideology

This article is part of the Politics series

Politics

List of political topics Politics by country Politics by subdivision Political economy Political history Political history of the world Political philosophy Political science Political systems Parliamentary Presidential Semi-presidential International relations (theory) Political scientists Comparative politics Public administration Bureaucracy (street-level) Adhocracy Public Policy Separation of powers Legislature Executive Judiciary Sovereignty Theories of political behavior

Subseries

Elections Electoral systems Voting Federalism Forms of government Ideology Political campaigning Political parties

Politics portal

v • d • e

An ideology is a set of aims and ideas, especially in politics. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things (compare Weltanschauung), as in common sense (see Ideology in everyday society below) and several philosophical tendencies (see Political ideologies), or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to all members of this society. The main purpose behind an ideology is to offer change in society, and adherence to a set of ideals where conformity already exists, through a normative thought process. Ideologies are systems of abstract thought (as opposed to mere ideation) applied to public matters and thus make this concept central to politics. Implicitly every political tendency entails an ideology whether or not it is propounded as an explicit system of thought.

(For the Marxist definition of ideology, see Ideology as an instrument of social reproduction below.)

Contents

[hide]

• 1 History of the concept of ideology
• 2 Analysis of ideology
  • 2.1 Ideology as an instrument of social reproduction
  • 2.2 Louis Althusser's Ideological State Apparatuses
  • 2.3 Feminism as critique of ideology
• 3 Political ideologies
• 4 Epistemological ideologies
• 5 Psychological research
• 6 Ideology and semiotic theory
• 7 Ideology in everyday society
• 8 See also
• 9 Notes
• 10 References
• 11 Further reading
• 12 External links